The Decision Behind This Character Death In John Wick: Chapter 4 Wasn't An Easy One [Exclusive]
This post contains spoilers for "John Wick: Chapter 4."
Everyone who loves film and television was shocked and saddened by the passing of the great character actor Lance Reddick at the far too young age of 60. This was just a week before the release of "John Wick: Chapter 4," in which Reddick returned as the Continental concierge Charon.
As well as closing the book on John Wick's story, "Chapter 4" also marks the end for Charon, who is ruthlessly killed by Bill Skarsgård's Marquis de Gamont in the first act. Obviously, the filmmakers had no idea that the actor himself would die so soon before the film's release, but there is an added poignancy and heartbreak both to Charon's death scene and how the other characters speak about him after he's gone. Ian McShane's Winston simply places the word "Friend" on his tombstone, and we can feel the weight of that. It's such an impactful loss that I think it actually overshadows John Wick's presumed death at the end of the movie. An unintended effect, due to far more important real life matters.
Even if screenwriters Michael Finch and Shay Hatten and director Chad Stahelski couldn't have predicted how meaningful this story development would have been, they were on the right mark when it came to shaping the dramatic stakes of "John Wick: Chapter 4." Charon's death would still be a blow within the story and world these four films have explored, and they knew the only character we would have felt that great of a loss for had to be embodied by Lance Reddick.
Someone 'closer to the light'
When it comes to what is ostensibly a finale, generally there's a feeling that you need to ramp up the stakes to show that "playtime" is over, and it's time to get serious. Usually, this is done through the death of a major character. Now, I tend to find this tactic a bit of an easy copout, but when it's handled with care and genuine heart, it can be incredibly effective. For "Chapter 4," Lance Reddick's Charon was sadly chosen to be that person. Speaking with /Film's Vanessa Armstrong, screenwriter Michael Finch said it was one of the hardest choices in the script:
"The single saddest thing that I personally was involved with, was killing [Charon]. I think Chad [Stahelski] and Keanu [Reeves] felt it that we needed to give a jumpstart or catalyst to the action of the piece. [Charon] obviously isn't entirely clean. Like everyone in this world, he functions in gray. He just happens to be a little closer to the light than some of the others. You genuinely like him as a human being because he's a wonderful human being ... The collective decision was that we need something to make us really f*****g hate this Marquis, and what is going to make us hate him more than this?"
The end result is certainly a success. Skarsgård's Marquis can never come back from that betrayal, much like Alfie Allen's Iosef Tarasov became instantly irredeemably after killing John Wick's dog. Except here, the real-world grief may subconsciously make us hate the Marquis even a little more.
Reddick understood the impact
When filmmakers decide to kill off a character they have been developing for such a long time with an actor, the decision to do so is a tough one, especially because the actor has taken so much ownership over the character. Living in someone else's skin on-and-off for years makes it difficult to let go. Speaking with Rolling Stone, director Chad Stahelski recalls the conversation he had with Lance Reddick after the actor first read the script:
"I get this text from him that goes, 'Hey, can we talk?' and I go, 'OK, I know what this is gonna be about.' He gets me on a Zoom call and goes, 'I love it, but I hate it. I hate that he dies, but I love how it affects the movie. I'm so twisted about it I just need to talk to you.' We talked and then he ultimately went, 'Stop. I get it. You guys did the best version of this. It f*****g sucks because I love this character, but I am wholeheartedly in.' That's the kind of gracious artist he is."
Reddick's graciousness and perfect understanding of the story being told is what always made him such a fine actor on screen. He is always serving the material and not himself. To be a great actor requires a great instinct for storytelling, and character actors are always the people who know this the best. If Reddick was one of our best character actors, that tells you all you need to know about how good of a storyteller he is as well.
We still have more of Lance Reddick's performances to come
Though Lance Reddick may no longer be with us and his character in the "John Wick" series has died, that does not mean we have seen the last of Lance Reddick as the delightful Continental concierge. He is set to appear in the first spinoff film "Ballerina," starring Ana de Armas. Even though he was given an unknowingly fitting sendoff in "John Wick: Chapter 4," I am thrilled that the final time we will be seeing this man in the series is simply him doing his thing as the great character actor that he was. In /Film's interview with him before his passing, Reddick even admits that his role is nothing major, but there's a certain comfort in that. He just kept working, and that's the kind of actor I love.
Chad Stahelski and Keanu Reeves put out a statement upon Reddick's death that said:
"We are deeply saddened and heartbroken at the loss of our beloved friend and colleague Lance Reddick.
He was the consummate professional and a joy to work with.
Our love and prayers are with his wife Stephanie, his children, family and friends.
We dedicate the film to his loving memory. We will miss him dearly."
Screens big and small will miss him dearly, and "John Wick: Chapter 4" is a fitting tribute to his memory.